area51novel Page 246
Page 246
Wu Zhu thought about it again, but still didn't quite understand.
"...What green plum?"
"Ye Qingmei!"
"Ye Qing...what?"
……
On the way back to Dongyi City from the temple, Fan Xian told Wu Zhu everything that had happened to him since he was a child.
Later, Fan Xian realized that Wu Zhu's recovery of his memories was related to Mount Da Dong, so the group went directly to Mount Da Dong.
Ku He and Si Gu Jian also needed Wu Zhu's combat strength, so they stayed at Da Dong Shan as well.
Meanwhile, Si Gu Jian's disciples and grand-disciples also began to frequently travel between Da Dong Shan and Dong Yi City.
After all, even after leaving the temple, they still needed to know the trends and directions of the world.
Nanqing Palace.
Late at night, Emperor Qing sent someone to invite Li Chang'an to the Imperial Study.
Li Chang'an made a few leaps from the Dragon Guard Villa and arrived at Emperor Qing's luxurious balcony.
This balcony, which was smashed by Kuhe and Sigujian last time, has been repaired.
In the Imperial Study, Hong Sixiang, Ye Liuyun, and Emperor Qing were already waiting.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Regent!"
Hong Sixiang and Ye Liuyun stood up and bowed at the same time, while Emperor Qing wore an appreciative smile on his face.
Li Chang'an secretly sighed, thinking that Emperor Qing, the sixth prince, was too good at pretending, too skilled at pretending, and his pretense was too convincing.
If Li Chang'an hadn't been prescient about his hypocrisy and ruthlessness, he felt that anyone would have been misled by his appearance.
Ever since Li Chang'an revealed his identity as a Grandmaster, Emperor Qing has always been pleased and appreciative.
Li Chang'an would always smile and affix the imperial seal to any arrangements made by him in court.
For more than six months, Li Chang'an did not find that Emperor Qing showed the slightest dissatisfaction.
This Emperor Qing is indeed a very shrewd and calculating performer.
Li Chang'an glanced at Ye Liuyun; the Grandmaster's injuries were no longer serious.
However, due to the Ye family's large and powerful lineage, he had no choice but to submit to Emperor Qing's tyranny.
Actually, he was the type to obey orders but not direct commands, so he still had a certain degree of freedom.
After all, Emperor Qing had not revealed his identity as a Grandmaster to him, nor did he dare to go too far.
"I have met the two Grandmasters."
Li Chang'an also politely cupped his hands in greeting, a gesture he hadn't done in a long time.
Ye Liuyun said politely, "The Ye family thanks the Regent for his cultivation and care."
"Ye Wan's achievements today are entirely due to Your Highness's guidance and cultivation."
Ye Wan is now the most outstanding general in Nanqing. The capture of two foreign chieftains is inseparable from Ye Wan's contributions.
Sitting opposite Emperor Qing, Li Chang'an casually said, "Grandmaster Ye, there's no need to be so polite. After all, Ling'er is my concubine."
"The Ye family, in the end, is one of my own, and you are no exception."
Emperor Qing smiled and said, "Yes, Uncle Shi and Chang'an can be considered family."
"It is truly a fortunate event for the Qing Kingdom to have three Grandmasters in person today!"
Li Chang'an said, "Your Majesty has summoned three Grandmasters. Is there something important going on?"
Emperor Qing smiled and said, "Yes, it is a great event! It is also a fortunate event, a fortunate event for the whole world!"
"Since the regent took office in Chang'an, the court and the people have been full of vigor and vitality, the officials are loyal to him and the people are convinced of his authority."
"Our Daqing has gained another Grandmaster, and the calls for battle from the army have never ceased."
"In the past six months, I have often reflected on my mistakes. Back then, I instigated my sons to fight each other, which not only damaged harmony but also the vitality of the Qing Kingdom."
"Therefore, I have decided to abdicate the throne to Chang'an. I will also follow Chengze's example and devote myself to studying Chang'an's poetry."
Upon hearing this decision, both Hong Sixiang and Ye Liuyun showed expressions of astonishment.
Hong Sixiang was faking it, Ye Liuyun was the real one.
Ye Liuyun believed that he understood Emperor Qing quite well; Emperor Qing was power-hungry and not the type to relinquish power easily.
But then he thought again, after all, the successor, Li Chang'an, was a Grandmaster.
When Li Chang'an succeeded to the throne, no one objected.
After all, he was a literary giant with outstanding achievements, and even his martial arts skills were unparalleled.
From Ye Liuyun's perspective, Li Chang'an's ascension to the throne made the Ye family imperial relatives, which was a good thing.
Li Chang'an replied, "Your Majesty, you are in the prime of your life, with a long-standing reputation for prestige. What are you talking about abdicating the throne?"
Emperor Qing insisted, "Chang'an, you don't need to refuse. Your contributions have long surpassed mine."
"Moreover, you have a wealth of talented people under your command, and you are fully capable of realizing your grand ambition of unifying the world."
"You are the most suitable person to sit on the throne of the Qing Kingdom!"
Li Chang'an stated frankly, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the most important matter for Daqing at present is not the succession to the throne."
"Instead, it is the three Grandmasters Wu Zhu, Si Gu Jian, and Ku He who are the biggest threat to Da Qing."
"With those three around, unifying the world will never be possible."
"Your Majesty has ruled the country for many years and must have a deep understanding of this."
Emperor Qing nodded and said, "Chang'an is right, we brothers have the same idea again."
"The reason we invited these three grandmasters is because we have a way to deal with them!"
"Uncle, please tell me."
Then, the people in the room turned their attention to Ye Liuyun.
Ye Liuyun slowly said, "Recently, I have received secret letters from Ku He and Si Gu Jian."
"Both of them invited me to join their camp and work together against His Majesty and His Highness the Regent."
"They also promised that once things were done, they could allow my Ye family to establish a small country similar to Dongyi City."
"With me in charge of this small country, the Ye family can enjoy wealth and honor forever, and will not be oppressed or enslaved by His Majesty and His Highness."
After listening, Li Chang'an nodded in agreement. "That makes a lot of sense. Grandmasters should be unrestrained."
"Grandmaster Ye is probably the only one who still cares about his descendants and family."
Upon hearing Li Chang'an's words, Emperor Qing continued, "Chang'an, you are unaware of something."
"The Qin and Ye families are both descendants of the founding fathers of Daqing, and they are all loyal and virtuous people who are wholeheartedly devoted to serving the country."
"In their hearts, the ultimate goal of making Daqing prosperous and strong and unifying the world is to achieve great things."
Li Chang'an smiled faintly, "Grandmaster Ye, is that really the case?"
Li Chang'an knew very well that these were just polite words.
Ye Liuyun was afraid that the Ye family would be purged by the royal family and wiped out completely.
Most grandmasters, like Ku He and Si Gu Jian, didn't have such strong attachments to their families.
Even if Ku He cared about the Northern Qi royal family, it wasn't to the extent that Ye Liuyun did.
Ye Liuyun said calmly, "Before I became a Grandmaster, I was deeply favored by the Emperor."
"Now that I have become a Grandmaster, how can I do something so ungrateful?"
"I can only say that Si Gu Jian and Ku He have underestimated me."
This answer was also very tactful, enough for the group to tacitly continue the conversation.
Emperor Qing continued, "My intention is to have Uncle Shi feign cooperation with the other party."
“Once Uncle Shi integrates into their camp, they will definitely find an opportunity to attack me and Chang’an.”
"I have already thought of this opportunity."
Hong Sixiang, who had remained silent throughout, finally spoke.
If he really didn't say a word, it would make him seem like a grandmaster, which would be beneath him.
"Gentlemen, His Majesty's intention is to hold a sacrificial ceremony at Mount Dadong and formally abdicate in favor of His Highness the Regent."
“Mount Dadong is so steep that it cannot hide a large number of ambushes, making it a good place to fight them.”
It seems that Emperor Qing still has his eye on Mount Dadong.
It is highly likely that Wu Zhu and his two companions are hiding in Da Dong Shan.
Li Chang'an said, "If Grandmaster Ye is an inside man, we should be able to eliminate one of them by surprise."
"With one less player on the opposing team, the advantage will definitely be in our hands."